Ruby has been working really hard to improve her reading score, and she did pull up into Grade 2, but now starting the 3rd grade, must work her way up again. She tests well in vocabulary and spelling, but comprehension is her struggle. I understand her struggles, and as I share in similar issues with comprehension. But in seeing the questions they ask, and the questions I remember, it shines a light on why it was always so difficult. "What was the character's intention when performing these actions?" Seriously, why do we ask questions like this? "Why did Julie steal the bread?" That is the question that everyone reading the story will understand, and can answer. So all of this to intro a sweet little story with Ruby the other afternoon, when she delivered to me that she would again have intervention at school to help her in comprehension. She understands her struggles, and smiled at me as I read to her that she would be meeting with Mrs. Colburn again this year. After meeting with her the next day, I asked her how the day had went with Mrs. Colburn. She said "She was so proud of me for getting my scores up and working so hard". She was all smiles, and I asked "Really, she said that, that is great!". To which she kinda laughed and replied "Actually, she didn't, I think that was all just in my head". And we laughed and laughed together. Her own inner monologue was encouraging her through the voice of Mrs. Colburn, which can be construed as sad, but I know that I do this all the time as well. The encouraging words we need sometimes don't come from others, but from within ourselves. Regardless, I held her as we giggled together, and told her she was doing great, and I was sooooo proud of how hard she has been working.
Davis was asked to take care of our Neighbors dog, by feeding it over the weekend, and letting it out twice a day to go to the bathroom. He did this on Thursday, then Friday, and on Saturday, he had to let the dog out early at 4pm as we were going to the Sean of the South concert that evening. When we returned home, it was 11PM, but he knew he needed to let the dog out one more time, since he had to take him out early on Saturday afternoon. So he walked over, and went in the backdoor, found the dog, and got him outside, when he saw lights come on upstairs and our neighbor walk out on the porch yelling the dog's name. Davis quickly said "Oh No! It's me. I didn't know you were home already". Haha, glad he didn't scare them anymore than that. We all cracked up when he returned with that story.
And as you will see below in the happenings of this month, Ruby learned to ride a bicycle. She just came home from school one day with a decision to ride, and she quickly starting riding in the backyard. I think I had some other things going on, but I told her we would go over to the straight road after completing them. And there she went riding up and down the road with no problems. She reminded me about that time I said when she learns to ride, she could have a new bike. I told her that her birthday is coming up, but we can go today and look for what size and color bike she wants. And then at Walmart, on the very front of all the bikes was a beautiful purple (her favorite color) bike. After trying it out a bit in the aisle, and giving a fist bump to the sweet toy lady at Chelsea, she knew this was the one. And there were three of these bikes, so I reminded her again that her birthday was coming up. Then we found a helmet she liked too (yes, purple). Then as we turned to walk back to leave the store, Ruby told me "Hey Dad, you remember when we went to the zoo, and there was that cute elephant I wanted. There were three of them, and you said we could get it next time we came to the zoo. Then we never could find it again". And that was where she ended her story with the supplemental manipulation of a cute little smile and big brown eyes looking up at me. "So, you think we should just get it today, so we get the one you have picked out". Her answer came as just a smile that went from ear to ear. Happy Birthday Ru, glad you like your new bicycle. :)
On the way to church one night, Ruby asked "Can you chew gum without teeth"?
Davis came into the bathroom while Magan was filling her meds in their boxes, he said "Ummm, that's a lot of medicine...Mom, are you broken?"
Davis was proud to be making money from Ruby for doing her part of the dishes. She would pay him $2 every time he unloaded the dishes for her. We later found that she had been paying him from quarters in my drawer. Which was where Davis was putting them when he bought things in quarters off amazon. So she was just paying him with his own money.
OK, so what else is going on in our neck of the woods....More swimming with cousins...Davis got him a new truck. Our friend Brandon Rawls found us another deal, this one in the form of a 2002 Chevy Silverado that was owned by Brandon's dad, and kept in very good condition. Our driveway has become a practice in parking no matter which car comes in or out...Sam's cute little illustration of the birth of sin...Lessons from Mayberry continued into August...Visit from Eloise and Cecilia, with Eloise getting to be my latest spidergirl...robotics team being, well the robotics team...Jeff and Davis go riding motocycles...Mom joins us for Monopoly...The Breakfast Club...Davis with all his girl friends...The first visit to the Dollar General in Chelsea...Happy Birthday to Timmy at the small group meeting...Belle tore a hole in her shirt at exactly the spot of her belly button...Ruby watches ghostbusters, and tells us who she is gonna call...Ruby passes out asleep at the backdoor...One last meal with my retiring manager Stacy...a Good Hope football game...Farkle was king this month in our house...Kid's Class at church...and the first of the High School Senior Pictures is hung in the hallway. Time keeps on slipping slipping slipping, but we are having fun on the ride.
